skin.
”Actually, I was thinking of John Wayne. He’s so sexy in ’The quiet man’,” she couldn’t resist teasing him.
”Hrmph. Just you wait, darling, until you’re within arm’s reach and I’ll show you sexy,” he promised darkly.
”Is that a promise?” she smiled.
”You bet,” he said, his voice full of emotions she couldn’t name.
”I’m afraid I only have a few minutes,” he continued. ”I’m trying to squeeze in as many things as possible every day now, so I can get back to Stockholm sooner.”
”You sound exhausted, Nate,” she said, suddenly worried. ”You’re not working yourself too hard? I’m fine, I can take the wait, I promise,” she assured him.
”No, I’m fine. Don’t worry, love. I’m doing this for me, so I can see you again before I lose my mind completely.”
Could it really be that he missed her as much as she missed him? The thought seemed crazy to her, but maybe, just maybe, he really did care for her?
”Okay, then,” she said, ”but please, take care of yourself. I can’t stand the thought of you working yourself too hard.”
”Please, don’t worry about me, Olivia. I promise you, I’m fine,” he said, tenderly. ”I’m just a little tired, that’s all. These meetings I’m in all day, every day, are insanely boring and repetitive, and it wears me out after a while. It’s actually better for me to get them over with as quickly as possible.”
”Nate,” she said, suddenly overcome with the intensity of her feelings. She wanted to tell him she loved him, but she was terrified of scaring him off. She was sure it was love she felt for him but it was insane to feel that this early. She had only known him for a couple of weeks.
”What is it, love?” he encouraged, waiting for her to go on.
”I’ve never felt this way about anyone before,” she finally whispered. ”It scares me,” she admitted.
He was quiet for a moment.
”I understand that, because it scares me too, to feel this much for someone I just met. But we’re in this together, Olivia. Trust me when I say you’re not alone in this. I’m here too. Whatever it is you feel for me, I feel it too,” his voice caressed her, soothing her fears. She felt so safe with him, as if he treasured her vulnerability and wouldn’t let her get hurt.
Someone said something in the background. He replied with a little sigh.
”All right, just give me a minute, please.”
”Olivia, baby?”
”Yes?”
”I have to go now. Will you do something for me?”
”Anything,” she answered.
”As you go to sleep, can you imagine I’m there, holding you? Because I will be, in my thoughts. I’m going to picture you, in bed falling asleep, with my arms around you, never letting go.”
”Okay,” she said, smiling at the thought.
”Good. Talk to you tomorrow then,” he said. ”Bye love, sweet dreams.”
”Bye, Nate.” She hung up and added to herself, I love you . Perhaps one day she would get to say it, without being afraid of scaring him away. She settled in to sleep and did as she’d promised him. When she closed her eyes and imagined him there, holding her in his strong, safe arms it was as if she could almost feel him. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.
* * *
When she came home from work the next day, there was a huge box waiting for her. The twins were circling it, trying to look uninterested and blasé about it, but they were clearly dying to know what was in the box.
”What have you been up to, Sis? That monstrous thing came for you earlier. Did you buy a horse over the internet, or something?” Lukas asked, as soon as she set foot inside the door.
She stuck her tongue out at him in reply.
”Seriously, Liv, open it!” he demanded.
”Okay, okay,” she laughed. ”Jeez, let me at least get my coat off first.”
When she saw the customs note on the side of the box, she smiled. It was from the U.S. She ripped the paper off. Inside there was a
”Actually, I was thinking of John Wayne. He’s so sexy in ’The quiet man’,” she couldn’t resist teasing him.
”Hrmph. Just you wait, darling, until you’re within arm’s reach and I’ll show you sexy,” he promised darkly.
”Is that a promise?” she smiled.
”You bet,” he said, his voice full of emotions she couldn’t name.
”I’m afraid I only have a few minutes,” he continued. ”I’m trying to squeeze in as many things as possible every day now, so I can get back to Stockholm sooner.”
”You sound exhausted, Nate,” she said, suddenly worried. ”You’re not working yourself too hard? I’m fine, I can take the wait, I promise,” she assured him.
”No, I’m fine. Don’t worry, love. I’m doing this for me, so I can see you again before I lose my mind completely.”
Could it really be that he missed her as much as she missed him? The thought seemed crazy to her, but maybe, just maybe, he really did care for her?
”Okay, then,” she said, ”but please, take care of yourself. I can’t stand the thought of you working yourself too hard.”
”Please, don’t worry about me, Olivia. I promise you, I’m fine,” he said, tenderly. ”I’m just a little tired, that’s all. These meetings I’m in all day, every day, are insanely boring and repetitive, and it wears me out after a while. It’s actually better for me to get them over with as quickly as possible.”
”Nate,” she said, suddenly overcome with the intensity of her feelings. She wanted to tell him she loved him, but she was terrified of scaring him off. She was sure it was love she felt for him but it was insane to feel that this early. She had only known him for a couple of weeks.
”What is it, love?” he encouraged, waiting for her to go on.
”I’ve never felt this way about anyone before,” she finally whispered. ”It scares me,” she admitted.
He was quiet for a moment.
”I understand that, because it scares me too, to feel this much for someone I just met. But we’re in this together, Olivia. Trust me when I say you’re not alone in this. I’m here too. Whatever it is you feel for me, I feel it too,” his voice caressed her, soothing her fears. She felt so safe with him, as if he treasured her vulnerability and wouldn’t let her get hurt.
Someone said something in the background. He replied with a little sigh.
”All right, just give me a minute, please.”
”Olivia, baby?”
”Yes?”
”I have to go now. Will you do something for me?”
”Anything,” she answered.
”As you go to sleep, can you imagine I’m there, holding you? Because I will be, in my thoughts. I’m going to picture you, in bed falling asleep, with my arms around you, never letting go.”
”Okay,” she said, smiling at the thought.
”Good. Talk to you tomorrow then,” he said. ”Bye love, sweet dreams.”
”Bye, Nate.” She hung up and added to herself, I love you . Perhaps one day she would get to say it, without being afraid of scaring him away. She settled in to sleep and did as she’d promised him. When she closed her eyes and imagined him there, holding her in his strong, safe arms it was as if she could almost feel him. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.
* * *
When she came home from work the next day, there was a huge box waiting for her. The twins were circling it, trying to look uninterested and blasé about it, but they were clearly dying to know what was in the box.
”What have you been up to, Sis? That monstrous thing came for you earlier. Did you buy a horse over the internet, or something?” Lukas asked, as soon as she set foot inside the door.
She stuck her tongue out at him in reply.
”Seriously, Liv, open it!” he demanded.
”Okay, okay,” she laughed. ”Jeez, let me at least get my coat off first.”
When she saw the customs note on the side of the box, she smiled. It was from the U.S. She ripped the paper off. Inside there was a
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